Fuller: Fertilizer licensing

Did you know, starting in January 2014, all commercial fertilizer applicators in Florida will need to be licensed? The intent of this license is to assure that commercial fertilizer applicators understand how the nutrients in fertilizer can impact the environment.

Because of the relationship Florida has to water, we need to all be aware of how our landscape maintenance practices can affect water quality. In Florida, we have sandy soils and heavy rains and so our land does not hold on to applied nutrients and chemicals as well as areas of the county that have clay or loam in their soils.

Once fertilizers and chemicals wash out of a Florida landscape, they usually do not have far to go before they end up in a body of water. The wildlife in this water can be affected by these discharges as well as the water quality. This is the reason the state wants all commercial fertilizer applicators to be cognizant of how their activities can impact the Florida environment.

On July 31, a training on Green Industries-Best Management Practices will be held at the Wind Mitigation Building, 3111 Agriculture Center Drive. This all-day class is a pre-requisite to anyone needing to get a fertilizer license. The fee for the class is $10, which includes materials and lunch. For information or to register, call the St. Johns County Extension Office at 209-0430.